The Reinhart Blog

Are you looking to celebrate OktoberFest in Washtenaw County? This Sunday, October 12, the Riverside Arts Center is having their 9thAnnual OktoberFest fundraiser. The event will take place from 4-7pm in the Riverside Gallery. The event will have traditional fare including brats, beer and klezmer music by Klezmer R & D. Attendees will also be able to enjoy art from the Great Lakes “Small Works” Exhibit.

This exciting event supports the Riverside Arts Center. The Riverside Arts Center is a non-profit multi-purpose cultural arts venue providing performance, exhibit, studio and reception space for artists and art cultural organizations to enrich the Ypsilanti community through the arts and cultural experiences.

Whether you are interested in music, art, or a demolition derby there will be plenty of fun for everyone at these Ann Arbor area events.

NashBash
If you’re a music lover, you won’t want to miss the 8th Annual NashBash. The free event mixes Nashville and Ann Arbor musical talent. Catch all the tunes tonight, Thursday August 21, music starts at 5pm at the Farmers Market area in Kerrytown. In addition to a great line up of artists there will also be a beer garden, BBQ, and the Ann Arbor Artisans Market.

Chelsea Community Fair
Looking for fun? The 77th annual Chelsea Community Fair has entertainment for everyone. Favorites include the always popular demolition derby and tractor pulls, horse shows, livestock judging, crafts, agriculture and art exhibits, midway games, rides and much more. New this year Mini-Mod Tractors have been added to Friday Night’s Tractor Pull. The tractors will be running V-8 Small Blocks (up to 375 ci) with small tires and weighing no more than 1800 lbs. These tractors are guaranteed to be fast and very entertaining.

DIYpsi Indie Art Fair
The fourth summer installment of DIYpsi Indie Art Fair is taking place this weekend at the Corner Brewery . DIYpsi is a handmade art fair that features the best indie artists in our region. Bring your appetite, and get ready for some incredible food and craft beer while you shop. Find unique hand crafted gifts while contributing to the local economy and supporting the arts. The fair takes place Saturday August 23 from 11am-11pm and Sunday August 24 from 12pm-6pm.

The annual Chelsea Sounds & Sights Festival is returning to historic Chelsea, Michigan. The two-day, three-night event runs Thursday, July 24, through Saturday, July 26. The revelries include live music and social tent, kids’ entertainment and activities, a classic car show, pet parade, and more. All performances and activities are held in downtown Chelsea.

In addition to music and entertainment this year the indie art market will be back and better than ever. According to the Chelsea Standard the 2014 artist line-up will featuring cool, hip and affordable art from emerging artists and craft persons. Street artists will demonstrate techniques in clay, glass, spray paint, jewelry making, painting, and wood for event attendees.

Click here for a full schedule of events.
Do you have a flower lover in your family? Join naturalist Shawn Severance, for an exploration of garden, field and forest habitats County Farm and learn about many of the summer wildflowers found in the park. Meet up in Ann Arbor at the Platt road entrance of the County Farm at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.

The oldest of the Michigan Brewers Guild’s four annual festivals, the Summer Beer Festival returns July 25-26 to Ypsilanti’s Riverside Park in historic Depot Town. It features approximately 800 different beers from more than 80 Michigan craft breweries. Food will be available for purchase inside the festival, and guests will enjoy live music from a variety of Michigan bands.

Click here for a the complete beer list and more information about the event

In honor of the 100th year of Pease Auditorium, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will return to Eastern Michigan University on Friday, June 27, at 8 p.m. and perform in the spot where it played 100 years ago.

Acclaimed American conductor JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, will lead the DSO in a special performance celebrating the centenary of Pease, where the DSO was among the first to play in 1914.

The program will feature Prokofiev’s iconic Romeo & Juliet, as well as famed clarinetist David Krakauer performing George Tsontakis’ Anasa: Concerto for Clarinet.

General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $10 children under 18 and students. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the DSO by emutix.com or calling (734) 487-2282.

About the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

In 1887 a group of local musicians and prominent citizens joined forces to create the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The DSO is one of our nation’s longest-lasting orchestras.

The internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, visionary maestros, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and an unwavering commitment to Detroit. The DSO’s performs a variety of musical styles includes Classical, Pops, Jazz, and collaborations with chart-topping musicians from Smokey Robinson to Kid Rock. The DSO actively pursues a mission to impact and serve the community through music.

Several Reinhart agents volunteered on Wednesday, May 7th with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley for a Habitat Build Day in Ypsilanti. They spent the day cleaning, hanging doors, painting, and installing shoe molding.

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that works to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for hardworking and deserving families in Washtenaw County. With the help of thousands of supporters, Habitat works to build and renovate homes for families who demonstrate need and a willingness to work with Habitat to purchase a home of their own. Habitat has helped over 100 families in our community achieve the dream of affordable homeownership.

The successful impact of Habitat homeownership is not short-lived. Stable homeownership increases our County’s tax base, stabilizes our school system, and sets the benchmark for generations to come. With safe, decent, and affordable housing, families are better able to concentrate on parenting, employment, education, and community involvement.

For the first time since the economic recession, all 25 municipalities in Washtenaw County experienced gains in average home values.

The gain in value has meant increased property values in the communities across the county. Values have risen between 1.66 percent in Salem Township up to a high of 10.7 percent in Sylvan Township.

Home values in Ann Arbor increased an average over 6 percent and Ypsilanti homes gained an average of over 4 percent. Overall, Washtenaw County shows a 5.93 percent gain in home values in 2014, compared to a roughly 2 percent gain in 2013.

Discover the beauty and charm of Ypsilanti’s local landmarks at the 17th annual Ypsilanti Holiday Tour and Downtown Stroll, December 14th and 15th. This event provides participants with a unique opportunity to tour local landmarks and shop local businesses to support Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels (YMOW) at the peak of the holiday season.

YMOW is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing hot meals to homebound elderly, disabled, and ill residents of eastern Washtenaw County. The meals provided by YMOW help clients stay healthy while caring for themselves in their own homes.

Over the coat drive’s 17-year history, Reinhart has collected more than 17,000 coats, all of which have been donated to agencies in our community. The need for winter coats, especially for children, continues to be great. The 18th Annual Coat Drive hopes to help fill that need in our community as the weather gets colder.

For more information about the 18th Annual Coat Drive, please contact Greer Thibodeau, Marketing Coordinator at 734-669-5837 or gthibodeau@reinhartrealtors.com.